Cleaning apparatus with easily replaceable cleaning head

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus has two cleaning heads which are alternatively used for different cleaning, applications; in particular, a first cleaning head with a comparatively large surface for cleaning large areas and a second cleaning head with a sponge; The first and second cleaning heads are mounted on lower sides of two holding plates and easily replaced.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus with an easily replaceable cleaning head, particularly to a cleaning apparatus with an easily replaceable cleaning head for wet cleaning of various floor materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In daily life, cleaning apparatuses with handles are important tools for cleaning floors without the need for bending down or kneeling. A cleaning apparatus with handle generally has a handle and a cleaning element, which is a bundle of cotton strings or a wiping cloth. The cleaning element is attached to a lower end of the handle and works by absorbing water along with dirt on an object to be cleaned. After wiping over the object to be cleaned, the cleaning element is manually wrung, which is laborious and unhygienic.

Therefore, cleaning apparatuses have appeared on the market, which use an elongated sponge as cleaning element, so that dirt and dust are easily removed therefrom by simple washing with water.

Besides, a wringing device is provided, which, manually driven by a lever, pushes the cleaning element through a space between two roles, squeezing out water from the cleaning element. However, such a wringing device is hard to operate and mounting and dismounting thereof is cumbersome.

Therefore, an improved cleaning apparatus has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,509 “Sweeping and Wringing Apparatus”, which has two wringing plates at a lower end of a main rod. The two wringing plates are driven by a lever to turn against each other, compressing a cleaning element and squeezing water out. Thereby wringing is made more convenient than in conventional art. However, the cleaning element needs to be replaced regularly due to wear of material and deformation. Hence providing quick mounting and removing of the cleaning element contributes significantly to convenience of use.

The cleaning apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,509 uses a held plate, to which the cleaning element is attached and which carries several snap-fastening projections that engage with openings in a holding plate. For removing the cleaning element, the held plate is pulled away from the holding plate. However, removing the cleaning element requires much manual force and is, due to a large number of snap-fastening projections, time-consuming. Besides, the wringing plates have to be held manually to be prevented from swaying in an uncontrolled way.

Furthermore, elongated cleaning elements made of water-absorbent material are effective for cleaning, but, due to their limited size, not suitable for cleaning large floor areas. Besides, typically a house has floors of various materials, e.g., ceramics, wood, plastics concrete or marble. Every material requires for best cleaning effect a cleaning element of its own. However, conventional cleaning apparatuses operate with fixed cleaning elements, limiting applicability thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning head that is quickly and easily mounted and dismounted for various applications.

For achieving above objects, the present invention comprises a main rod, a fastening device, two connecting pieces, two holding plates, a first cleaning head with a comparatively large surface for cleaning large areas and a second cleaning head with a sponge. The first and second cleaning heads are alternatively mounted on lower sides of the two holding plates and easily replaced to allow for flexibility of cleaning applications.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the first cleaning head detached, in the first embodiment.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the second cleaning head detached, in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the first cleaning head mounted, in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the first cleaning head mounted, in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first cleaning head of the present invention in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the first cleaning head mounted, in the second embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the second cleaning head mounted, in the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of tilting of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention against a floor in the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the first cleaning head detached, in the third embodiment.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with the second cleaning head detached, in the third embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the present invention in a first embodiment is a cleaning apparatus 1, comprising a main rod 10, a fastening device 20; two connecting pieces 30; two holding plates 40; a wringing device 60; a first cleaning head 50; and a second cleaning head 70. The cleaning head 50 has an elongated sweeping part with an elliptic cross-section, made of water-absorbing material for cleaning floors. The fastening device 20 is roughly shaped like a triangular prism, having a central part that is mounted at a lower end of the main rod 10 and two side parts, each of which carry a hinge 21. Two connecting pieces 30 are at upper ends thereof respectively connected to the two side parts of the fastening device 20 by the hinges 21 and at lower ends thereof respectively connected with the two holding plates 40.

The wringing device 60 has a lever 61, which is hingedly connected with the main rod 10 and, at an outer end thereof, carries a handle 62 for manually pulling up the lever 61. The lever 61 is, at a central position thereof, hingedly connected with a connecting rod assembly 63. The connecting rod assembly 63 passes through the fastening device 20, having a lower end that is hingedly connected with a connecting plate 41, which in turn hingedly connects the two holding plates 40 at inner ends thereof. When the lever 61 is raised manually, the connecting rod assembly 63 is pulled upward, in turn pulling upward inner ends of the holding plates 40, so that the holding plates 40 turn against each other in a clasping movement, compressing a sweeping part and wringing out water.

The main characteristic of the present invention are the first cleaning head 50 and the second cleaning head 70. The second cleaning head 70 is an elongated body made of sponge-like water-absorbent material, resembling conventional art, whereas the first cleaning head 50 has a large area for convenient cleaning of large floor areas.

Below, a detailed description of the first and second cleaning heads 50, 70 is given.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the first cleaning head 50 has an elongated held plate 51, which defines a horizontal plane, with a longitudinal axis, a lower side, on which a sweeping part 54 is mounted, and an upper side, carrying several fastening pieces 52. Each of the holding plates 40 has a longitudinal peripheral surface 44. Each of the fastening pieces 52 has a hook 53, which engages with the peripheral surface 44 of one of the two holding plates 40 from a lower side thereof.

In the first embodiment, the held plate 51 and the fastening pieces 52 are made of elastic material, in particular, of injection-molded plastics, forming an integrated, elastic body.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the fastening pieces 52 are arranged as pairs placed in a row parallel to the longitudinal axis of the held plate 51. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the hooks 53 of the fastening pieces 52 has a distance from the held plate 51 that is smaller than the width of the peripheral surfaces 44 of the holding plates 40, so that the held plate 51 is closely held to the lower sides of the holding plates 40.

For easy engaging of the hooks 53 with the holding plates 40, each hook 53 has an inclined surface 56 on a top side thereof. The inclined surfaces 56 of each pair of fastening pieces 52 face each other. When the hooks 53 approach the peripheral surfaces 44 of the holding plates 40 from below, the inclined top surfaces 56 of the fastening pieces 52 hits lower edges thereof, causing the fastening piece 52 to be bent horizontally outward. Due to elasticity, the fastening pieces 52, once completely engaged, assume upright positions again, so that the held plate 51 is securely held by the holding plates 40.

For removing the held plate 51 from the holding plates 40, each pair of fastening pieces 52 is manually bent horizontally outward and then the fastening pieces 52 are pushed downward, away from the holding plates 40, allowing to detach the cleaning head 50 from the held plates 40.

For preventing the held plate 51 of the cleaning head 50 from slipping away alter being mounted on the holding plates 40, several depressions 43 are cut into the holding plates 40 at upper outer edges thereof, at positions where the fastening pieces 52 engage. The depressions 43 have widths that are slightly larger than the widths of the fastening pieces 52, allowing the latter to be held securely.

The sweeping part 54 of the first cleaning head 50 is made of soft fibers or cloth for absorbing water along with dust on floors and has an area that is larger than the area of the held plate 51.

The sweeping part 54 is detachable from the held plate 51. An insertion plate 55 is attached to an upper side of the sweeping part, being in a mounted state held at a lower side of the held plate 51.

After removing the first cleaning head 50 from the holding plates 40, the second cleaning head 70 is mountable thereon. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the second cleaning head 70 comprises two held plates 71 of roughly the same size as the holding plates 40 and a sweeping part 73, which is an elongated sponge body. The two held plates 71 carry fastening elements 72 on an upper side thereof.

For having the fastening elements 72 engage with the holding plates 40, the holding plates 40 are provided with openings 42. The fastening elements respectively are put through the openings 42 from below and subsequently held there.

The fastening elements 73 are shaped like the letter L, with upper sections that point towards outer ends of the holding plates 40. The fastening elements 73 have slightly smaller cross-sections than the openings 42 to be easily inserted therein. Having been inserted, the fastening elements 73 assume holding positions to be held in the openings 42.

As the previous description shows, a user has the choice of either mounting the first cleaning head 50 or the second cleaning head 70 on the holding plates 40 of the cleaning apparatus 1, depending on intended application, so that flexibility of use is given.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 5A, the present invention in a second embodiment is a cleaning apparatus 1A, comprising a main rod 10A, a fastening device 20A and two holding plates 40A. The fastening device 20A is on a lower side thereof hingedly connected with the two holding plates 40A. The two holding plates 40A carry a first cleaning head 50A or a second cleaning head 70A. The main rod 10A, the fastening device 20A, the two holding plates 40A, the first cleaning head 50A and the second cleaning head 70A have the same structure as their counterparts of the first embodiment. The characteristic of die second embodiment of the present invention are two connecting pieces 30A, which are flexible, allowing to hold the main rod 10A at an angle that differs from the right angle against the holding plates 40A. Thereby, the first and second cleaning heads 50, 70 are easily kept parallel to a floor to be cleaned, enhancing effectivity of cleaning.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the two connecting pieces 30A comprises an upper section 31A and a lower section 32A. For each of the two connecting pieces 30A, the upper section 31A is at an upper end thereof hingedly connected with the fastening device 20A and the lower section 32A is at a lower end thereof hingedly connected with one of the holding plates 40A at axes that are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the holding plates 40A. The upper section 31A and the lower section 32A are connected by a hinge having an axis that is oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the holding plates 40A. Thus the main rod 10A is not forced into an orientation perpendicular to a floor to be cleaned, so that more effective cleaning is achieved.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 7A, the present invention in a third embodiment is a cleaning apparatus 1B, comprising a main rod 10B, a listening device 20B, two holding plates 40B, a first cleaning head 50B and a second cleaning head 70B, which are alternatively mounted on the holding plates 40B. The second cleaning head 70B has two held plates 71B and a sweeping part 73B, attached to lower sides of the held plates 71B, The second cleaning head 70B carries on a top side thereof two first adhesive plates 72B, and the two holding plates 40B carry on lower sides thereof two second adhesive plates 45B, which engage with the first adhesive plates 72B, allowing easily to mount and dismount the second cleaning head 70B.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a main rod; a fastening device, fastened to a lower end of said main rod and having a lower part with two side parts; two holding plates, defining a horizontal plane and a longitudinal axis; two connecting pieces, at upper ends thereof hingedly connected with said two side parts of said fastening device and at lower ends thereof hingedly connected with said holding plates, respectively, with hinge axes being oriented horizontally and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, so that said holding plates are respectively mounted on said two side parts of said fastening device; a first cleaning head, mounted on said two holding plates, further comprising a held plate, to which, at an upper surface thereof, several fastening pieces are attached, each having a hook, for engaging with said holding plates in a mounted state, and a sweeping part, attached to lower sides of said held plate; and a second cleaning head; wherein said first cleaning head and said second are mounted alternatively on said holding plates for use at different cleaning applications.
 2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said connecting pieces comprises an upper section, which is at an upper end thereof hingedly connected with one of said two side parts of said fastening device, and a lower section, which is at a lower end thereof hingedly connected with one of said holding plates, with hinge axes being oriented horizontally and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, with said upper and lower sections being connected by a hinge with an axis oriented parallel to said longitudinal axis.
 3. The cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said holding plates has a plurality of depressions where said hooks of said fastening pieces are placed in said mounted state of said first cleaning head.
 4. The cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of said holding plates has opposite peripheral surfaces along said longitudinal direction having widths, with which said hooks of said fastening pieces are engaged in said mounted state of said first cleaning head, with each of said hooks of said fastening pieces having a distance to said upper side of said held plate that is smaller that said width of said peripheral surfaces, so that said held plate is held firmly on said holding plates.
 5. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of said fastening pieces is made of flexible, elastic material and has a top side having an inclined surface, so that, when said fastening pieces respectively approach and contact lower edges of said peripheral surfaces, said fastening pieces are bent aside for easy engaging with said peripheral surfaces and, due to elasticity thereof, in said mounted state assume upright positions again.
 6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 7. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 8. The cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 9. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said holding plates has a plurality of depressions where said hooks of said fastening pieces are placed in said mounted state of said first cleaning head.
 10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of said holding plates has opposite peripheral surfaces along said longitudinal direction having widths, with which said hooks of said fastening pieces are engaged in said mounted state of said first cleaning head, with each of said hooks of said fastening pieces having a distance to said upper side of said held plate that is smaller that said width of said peripheral surfaces, so that said held plate is held firmly on said holding plates.
 11. The cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of said fastening pieces is made of flexible, elastic material and has a top side having an inclined surface, so that, when said fastening pieces respectively approach and contact lower edges of said peripheral surfaces, said fastening pieces are bent aside for easy engaging with said peripheral surfaces and, due to elasticity thereof, in said mounted state assume upright positions again.
 12. The cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 13. The cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 14. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sweeping part of said first cleaning head is made of soft fiber or cloth and has an upper side, to which an insertion plate is attached, which is held at a lower side of said held plate.
 15. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second cleaning head comprises a held plate, a sweeping part, attached to a lower side of said held plate, and a plurality of fastening elements, attached to an upper side of said held plate, and wherein said holding plates each have a plurality of engaging positions, with which said fastening elements of said second cleaning head respectively engage for mounting said second cleaning head on said holding plates.
 16. The cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of fastening elements of said second cleaning head is shaped like the letter L and each of said plurality of engaging positions of said holding plates is an opening, wherein, for mounting said second cleaning head on said holding plates, said plurality of fastening elements of said second cleaning head are respectively passed through said openings of said holding plates.
 17. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second cleaning head comprises a held plate, a sweeping part, attached to a lower side of said held plate, and two first adhesive plates, attached to an upper side of said held plate, and wherein said holding plates on lower sides thereof each have a second adhesive plates, with which said first adhesive plates of said second cleaning head respectively engage for mounting said second cleaning head on said holding plates. 